New Zealand Embassy Manila, The Philippines

New Zealand and the Philippines

New Zealand’s relationship with the Philippines is one that is growing, becoming stronger and more diverse. New Zealand’s trade with the Philippines is very substantial, and the people-to-people links between the countries are growing rapidly. As a frontline member of ASEAN, the Philippines is an important partner as New Zealand increasingly integrates with the wider Asian region.

The Philippines remains one of the most important markets for New Zealand dairy products. Around 80 percent of New Zealand’s exports to the Philippines are food and beverage products. Over half of the Philippines’ exports to New Zealand are fruit products (mostly bananas). If services trade is added to the mix, two-way trade is about NZD 1 billion a year.

All of the goods trade takes place under the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement that came into force on 1 January 2010. This agreement is expected to help diversify the trade in both directions as a direct result of its tariff cuts and other business-enabling pr

The Philippines remains one of the most important markets for New Zealand dairy products. Around 80 percent of New Zealand’s exports to the Philippines are food and beverage products. Over half of the Philippines’ exports to New Zealand are fruit products (mostly bananas). If services trade is added to the mix, two-way trade is about NZD 1 billion a year.

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New Zealand has significant, and growing, people-to-people links with the Philippines. It is an important source of permanent and long term migrants. The Filipino population in New Zealand is now over 40,000 (Census 2013); 1% of the country’s population. A working holiday scheme entered into force in early 2014 and allows young Kiwis and Pinoys to work while holidaying in each other’s countries.

The two countries recently brought into force bilateral cooperation agreements on labour and environment issues, and have had a bilateral arrangement on law enforcement cooperation since 2007. Under those arrangements, agencies like the New Zealand Police and Ministry for Business Innovation and Employment work with their Philippine counterparts on various projects that bring mutual benefits. For example, in early 2011, two New Zealand Police officers ran four weeks of training for Philippine National Police officers in Camiguin.

New Zealand and the Philippines inaugurated a strategic defence dialogue in August 2011 and signed a bi-lateral arrangement on defence cooperation in 2012.

The New Zealand government operates a bilateral official development assistance programme of around NZ$4 million (around PHP120 million) per year. The single biggest project currently underway is the Philippines-New Zealand Dairy Project to help boost production in the Philippines' fledgling dairy industry.

New Zealand has been an ASEAN dialogue partner since 1975, and is committed to advancing integration in the Asian region, a process that ASEAN is at the core of.